Bunchland

Jodi Lariviere shares seasonal recipes that are as healthy as they are yummy

As I’ve grown older I’ve come to associate Easter with more than just chocolate and brightly coloured eggs. I also remember family dinners with ham and the perfect side dish, scalloped potatoes. This rich, creamy side was for special occasions only in my house. I loved them. Still do. Here is my best recipe for scalloped potatoes – one that is easy to get kids involved with.

If your kids are too young to peel or cut potatoes they can still have a great time helping you to layer them. Feel free to make a counting game out it by asking you kids to first group the potato
slices into group of 5 (or whatever number you choose). This will keep them engaged and busy while you prepare the sauce. Or take this time to talk about potatoes themselves, where they come from, how they grow and what other vegetables come from the ground. It’s never too early to start teaching kids where their food comes from.  Read more...

The traditional easter dinner is a nightmare for vegans and vegetarians. A meal comprised mainly of ham or lamb and eggs, leaves some folks munching on whatever token vegetable is on the side and wishing they could prove Jesus was a vegetarian. Jennifer McCann at Vegan Lunch Box has an adorable, thematic solution: musube or onigiri eggs! Sticky rice is formed in plastic eggs (spray the insides with a non-stick cooking spray) and filled with a protein (Jennifer uses cashew butter, but pureed tofu or beans could work just as well), and then wrapped with multicoloured mamenori. If you can’t get mamenori, consider using thin slices of colourful fruits and vegetables to decorate your “eggs”.